Ticket Checking on BMTC buses
In my many journeys on BMTC buses, I get to witness a few interesting incidents. Here is one of them.
First, a bit of information before the story. Some of the bus stops on any route are designated as ‘stages’. The bus conductor is required to complete issuing tickets before the bus reaches a stage. On busy hours, conductors often stop the bus a little before the ‘stage’ stop so that they can complete issuing tickets.
When inspectors come to check for tickets, they always come in at a stage point because at that time everyone is supposed to possess a ticket. On this particular day, a lot of people including me got in at the bus stop before the stage point. The conductor started issuing tickets from the front, and by the time he reached the backseats, stage point had already arrived. He was a bit lax, and had taken it easy since there were only few more people in the back who had to be issued tickets, and he could do that quickly. But before he could issue tickets to them, inspectors walked in and snatched the tickets and the entries from him. That left a few people in the back without tickets.
Naturally, these people at the back were found without tickets and were asked to pay a fine of Rs.100. They refused and what followed was a long argument. The passengers pointed at the conductor but the conductor shrugged and said he had asked everyone for a ticket. But very soon the inspectors understood what went wrong, but still insisted that the passengers pay up! Luckily, things did not heat up, and after long arguments, the travellers relented and paid up. A few more fellow passengers with tickets also lobbied for the ticketless guys, but that did not seem to help either. I noticed, this set of ticketless guys even had a couple of laborers in late teens who searched all over their pockets to add up the hundred rupees. I could see the disappointment in their face.
I felt an urge to protest but kept quiet against my will, telling myself that I am not a party to this. In fact I had a lucky escape since I was the last guy to get a ticket before the inspectors walked in. It is difficult to say what I would have done if I did not have a ticket too, but I would have definitely found it hard to pay the fine in such a situation. How would you react?
This is bad!
I would not have paid at any cost.
But, I’ve never ever seen a ticket checking happen in BMTC. They are so frequent in Chennai, for sure!
Lucky you!
“But very soon the inspectors understood what went wrong” I didn’t understood why even after knowing the situation the inspector asked to pay the fine? Fine was not FINE @ that time; If I was @ this situation I would have not paid any penny & also not allowed others to pay too.
We will need a innovative way to vend tickets before people board the bus….like in West, probably automatic vending machines at the bus stop, or for ppl who cud not buy there as soon as they get in the bus
Yes Absolutely I would hav never paid it
n more over I also use bus frequentlyn n I never remember seeing any ticket inspector coming on to d bus…
I’m surprised as to why no body thought of buring the bus. :-)
‘burning’; not ‘buring’; sorry for the typo.
Like others here have said, I would never have paid the fine either. Also, I would have probably stepped in to argue on behalf of the hapless guys. Typical case of people in power abusing authority just because there is nobody to question them.
BTW, did you see the TCs give any receipt for the fines paid? If they understood what happened and still insisted on taking the fines, I suspect the money might have gone right into their pockets!
Yes, they were given a receipt.
No… you should not have paid a single penny.
Even if you were having an urgent errand, take the receipt and file a consumer forum complaint but i guess you may not get the money back since law says you were travelling ticketless and have equal right to demand one from conductor while dancing on single leg!!!!